


Warmth

by MisterEAnon



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:36:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8000482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisterEAnon/pseuds/MisterEAnon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lion living in tundra down finds an 'Iced' fox freezing to death, soaked to the bone. Bringing her to warmth is the only real option he can think of.</p><p>But can he warm the ice in her heart, as well?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Warmth

He was halfway home when he heard the splash.

His leonine ears perked up as he looked around, only to find a poor mammal scrabbling out of the ice water river that carried the miniature icebergs that carried mammals around Tundratown. And 'mammal' was all he could ascribe to them… As soaking wet and miserable as they were, he couldn't actually tell from here.

But he could tell one thing. That wasn't an aquatic mammal who could stand the cold.

They were probably going to die in a snowy ditch somewhere if someone didn't keep them from freezing to death.

He didn't even hesitate as he jogged over to them. They- She- Were a particularly scrawny-looking fox, shivering violently and unresponsive to the sight of a lion looming over her. She looked so young. So vulnerable.

He tried to think of a way to dry her off. He didn't have much, coming home from work. In fact, he didn't have anything more then the clothes on his back.

...Oh, hell.

 

( * * * )

 

He could feel the glare burning into his back. He turned to the offending mammal, glared back, and gestured to the fox wrapped up in his oversized clothing, looking like death.

Like the last three people who had glared at him for being naked, they backed off.

After she had shook off as much water as she could- Or rather, he had for her, since she wasn't strong enough to do it herself- He'd used his jacket to dry off what couldn't be shaken off.

Then, he'd given her the rest of his clothes, as her own were ruined with being completely soaked through with ice water.

And now, he was glad his large mane kept his head warm, and looked on the bright side of things.

There wasn't a single mammal he passed who wouldn't believe 'shrinkage' was the answer, because it really, really was.

He sighed deeply when a police car pulled up, no doubt investigating a report of public nudity.

 

( * * * )

 

Home. He'd never been so happy to be home before. And as grateful as he was to the ZPD Officer for being very understanding of his sacrifices to save the fox, whoever she was, well- He was far more interested in a warm bath then taking her to the station for help. They had relented, as it was obvious she was in good paws.

She was pretty cute for a cop, too. But, then again, she was a big cat like himself, so maybe he was biased.

And, for that matter, he'd never been so happy to see his closet.

He pulled out a warm, fluffy bath robe. On second thought, he pulled out a second one for his guest.

After donning his own, he padded out into the guest room he'd settled her in, throwing her the fluffy, clean robe for her to replace his suit with. She just stared at it uncomprehendingly for a few moments before starting to put it on.

He left her behind. He had to get a hot bath running. And as much as he himself wanted to use it, he knew she needed it more. He'd just have to wait his turn, honestly.

He'd just about gotten the water temperature to his satisfaction and the rather opulently sized tub filled when she heard him padding up behind him. He turned to her with a gentle smile.

“Hey. I've got the bath ready for you, so-”

She took a deep breath, shaking slightly, and pulled her robes off in front of him.

Oh. He'd known she was a young woman, but this was certainly an undeniable confirmation.

He averted his eyes immediately, feeling his cheeks flush with heat despite how cold he still felt. “N-no need for that… I'll give you your privacy,” he rumbled, moving to step out of the room.

She intercepted him, pressing against his chest. “Don't you want me?” she asked, paw trailing down to squeeze at his crotch through his robe. “Isn't it time for your… Reward?”

Her tone was practiced. Honed. Perfectly seductive.

But as he looked into her eyes, he saw reluctance. Beyond that, dread. She didn't want to do this.

And she was making herself do it anyway.

He wrapped his large paws around her shoulders, and gently, but firmly, pushed her back. “No,” he answered clearly. “I don't want that.”

She looked terribly confused. And it was terrible, seeing her so deeply lost now. “But… But, you saved me. Why would you save me if you don't…”

She trailed off. She couldn't hold back her shaking now. He leaned down, wrapping the frail vixen in a close hug. She tensed up in it, and didn't relax for nearly ten seconds. When she finally did, he pulled back, tilting her chin up with a paw.

“I saved you because it was the right thing to do. Because I care enough about other people to not let them just… Just die in front of me because I didn't feel like lifting a paw to save them,” he told her, feeling his throat tighten up.

He was seeing the implications of what he past must have been like, now.

His fists balled up. He didn't like them.

Immediately, she flinched at the sign of his anger. He took a deep breath, and unclenched his fists. He struggled to find the words to say to her.

“I'm… I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not angry at you. I'm angry FOR you,” he rumbled quietly. She didn't seem to have anything to say to that, so he just hugged her into his chest.

It was a long time, but eventually she managed to return the hug.

After that, he soon pulled away. “You should use the bath before the water cools. Feel free to add more hot water- I'll give you privacy,” he added, padding around her and leaving for his bedroom.

He could practically feel the eyes on his back again. But this time, they weren't full of contempt.

They were full of confusion.

 

( * * * )

 

He guessed he could skip the bath for now.

This was entirely based on the fact that he'd climbed into bed, found it warm, and was now not particularly interested in the notion of getting back out of it.

He'd nearly dozed off when the fox stepped out from the master bathroom, attached to his master bedroom, and into sight. She was once again dressed in the robe he'd given her.

She still looked at him with eyes full of wonder. But something seemed different, now- Earlier, her look had been cold. Suspicious. Watching and waiting for a knife in the back.

Now, she still looked confused. But it was… Warmer, somehow. She wasn't quite smiling, but she didn't have the grimace she was wearing earlier.

“Hey there,” he greeted her, sitting up in bed. “You warm now?”

She nodded. “Y-yeah… I, uh. I've never been in a place like this before,” she mumbled shyly, glancing around. “It's so big.”

It really was. “Heh. Old family home, from when the family- was a lot larger. I'm just leasing, the only one here. You should see the heating bill for this place.” Especially in tundra town.

She stared at him like the concept of a heating bill was a completely foreign idea to her.

He thought for a moment. “Hey- C'mere.”

She paused in her looking around, and saw him beckoning her to the bed with a paw. She suddenly looked far more confident, striding over and sitting down on the edge of the bed. She started to strip off her bath-robe once more-

Ah. No, he wasn't having any of that. She went still as she felt his large paws on her nude form.

Then, she turned to him with confusion when he just held her still with one paw and used the other to tug the robe back up, draping it over her shoulders.

She couldn't hold back the question any longer.

“Why?”

He looked at her, and treated the question with the seriousness it deserved.

“Because… Because you shouldn't have to sleep with me just because I show you some basic decency.”

He stood, straightening his own robe around him. “Here. You can use my bed for the night. I'll take a guest room.”

And as he turned his back to her once more, he thought there really might have been something to the idea that lions were natural leaders.

He almost sounded like he knew what he was doing.

 

( * * * )

 

He woke up late, and stared at the clock on the wall with groggy confusion. What- Why-?

Oh. Now he remember. His alarm was in his actual bedroom, not the guest room.

His guest would be gone by now. He never even knew her name.

He wondered if she'd stolen anything on the way out, and wondered how he'd feel about it if it kept her under a roof for a few days when she came into the room.

“You're up.”

He looked at her. She was still dressed in the bath-robe from last night. Of course she was, he realized, he'd left her own ruined clothes where he rescued her.

“I'm up,” he agreed. “And so are you. I'm kind of surprised you're still here.”

She looked crushed. But only for a split second. “Right. Right, I'll get going-”

“Whoa, hold on,” he objected, yawning and covering his mouth on reflex. “I didn't say you had to leave. I'm just surprised you wanted to stay.”

She stared at him. “Where would I go?”

Well, when she put it like that, he felt kind of dumb. Especially with all the implications she'd shown, setting off so many alarms in his mind.

He rubbed his head sleepily. “Well, I guess you don't have to go anywhere just yet. You can at least have breakfast before we find somewhere for you to go.”

She padded across the room, and pushed him against the guest bed.

“Um,” he eloquently described his feelings.

“I don't understand you. At all. But-” She started to pull her robes off again.

This time, he was annoyed. “Would you stop that? I told you--”

“-That you don't want me to repay you with my body. I know,” she said simply, shrugging slightly.

It was his turn to be confused. “But-”

“This is not me repaying you for your kindness. I know I can't do that. This… is me wanting to sleep with you because of your kindness. The fact that you've been so selfless is what makes me want this.”

She sounded confident. Unlike before, there was no hesitation in her eyes. Only desire, and a surprisingly strong will.

He still had one worry, though. “I mean, you look so young. Are you even--”

“Legal? Yes. Barely,” she admit, flicking her tail. “Boys like that, right?”

She pulled open his robes, pressing her muzzle between his legs.

She got her breakfast after all. A rather protein-rich one.

And a little early morning exercise after that. Twice.

He didn't end up leaving the bed, after all. An hour and a half later, he'd fallen right back asleep. But this time, he had a very content vixen in his arms. He'd found yet a new way to fill her with warmth.

In the morning, they went their separate ways. But he'd never forget her.

 

* * *

 

 

Bonus:

Years later, the lion found something new in the mail, other then bills and junk mail.

He threw the junk mail onto the pile he saved for fuel when he wanted to save on his heating bill with an actual fire in the fireplace, and opened it. It was a letter.

The vixen he'd saved so many years ago had gotten out of 'that life', it seemed. She'd found a wonderful fox, gotten married, and now had a son on the way.

She teased in her writing that sex with him had been fun, but she was taken now.

He was glad she'd ended up okay, after all.

Hopefully, this 'Mr. Wilde' would take proper care of her.


End file.
